Dog Grooming in Tampa
Grooming for Cockers, Long Coat Dachshunds, and Cavaliers
Professional Pet Grooming Services
At Grande Style Dog Grooming in Tampa, we specialize in the care of the flat coated breeds like Cocker Spaniels, Long Coat Dachshunds, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. In fact, the salons owner has had three spaniels of her own!
Preserving your dogs natural coat texture and color
At Grande Style Dog Grooming in Tampa, we specialize in grooming flat coated breeds such as Cocker Spaniels, Long Coat Dachshunds, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Our experienced groomers focus on preserving your pet's natural coat texture and color, ensuring a stylish yet natural look. We use techniques like carding, thinning, and hand stripping to maintain the breed's authentic appearance, providing personalized care tailored to your dog's needs.
Summer trims
We also offer shorter styles when appropriate for the dog.
Style choices for your Dog
Cocker spaniel clipped very short
Cocker Spaniel with a Medium length coat
Cocker Spaniel with a Medium length coat
Cocker Spaniel with a Medium length coat
Cocker Spaniel with a Medium length coat
Cocker Spaniel with a Medium length coat
Cocker Spaniel with a Medium long coat
Cocker Spaniel with a Medium length coat
Cocker Spaniel with a Medium long coat
Cocker Spaniel in full coat
Cavalier King Charles with a Medium Length trim
Cocker Spaniel with a Medium long coat
Cavalier King Charles with a short Haircut
Cavalier King Charles with a Medium Length trim
Cavalier King Charles with a Medium Length trim
Cavalier King Charles with a Medium Length trim
Cavalier King Charles with a Medium Length trim
Cavalier King Charles with a Medium Length trim
Cavalier with a Natural Look
Long Hair Dachshund clipped very short
Long Hair Dachshund clipped very short
Long Hair Dachshund clipped very short
Long Hair Dachshund clipped very short
Long Hair Dachshund clipped very short
Long Hair Dachshund Medium legnth hair
Long Hair Dachshund clipped very short
Long coat dachshund: Long hair
Long coat dachshund: Long hair
Understanding your dogs coat
Spaniels and other flat coated dogs are double coated
This means that multiple hairs grow out of each follicle, creating a thick, water repellent coat. This coat needs proper maintenance in order to allow the coat to lye flat and tight to the body. The coat regenerates to sub hairs at least every 3 weeks, these hairs need to be removed to make room for the new growth.
Removing the shedding coat is essential for skin health
Dogs with double coats must have the shedding hairs removed regularly to keep the skin healthy. This is because a build-up of hair in the follicle with trap the oil produced by the sebaceous gland to remain trapped under the skin.
In a healthy coat, the oil distributes onto the hair and skin keeping the coat shiny, and the skin supple.
Regular brushing and combing is not enough to remove the fine, downy hairs that are clogging the follicle. For this you will need a carding tool.
Clipping the coat will change the way the coat grows.
Clipping a double coated dog will alter the coat growth pattern. Dogs with flat coats look fine with a clipped coat, the color is lighter, the texture is softer, and the coat will most likely grow extra fluffy or curly on the back. Once clipped, you may not be able to regain the natural texture of the coat.
Spaying and neutering can also change the dog's coat growth pattern, causing the same changes as clipping the coat.
Impacted coat in the follicle
When the coat is not regularly groomed (carded) to remove the soft downy undercoat, the dog has less airflow to the skin, the hair cannot lie flat, and the natural oils are trapped in the follicle.
The hand stripped coat
The decision to keep a natural look on your flat coated dog should be made while the dog is a puppy. Along with regular brushing and combing, your puppy will need the shedding coat removed from the jacket frequently, using a carding tool and a pumice stone.
When searching for a groomer, make sure that they will "card" the coat. Most groomers know how to groom a Cocker, Long Coat Dachshund, or Cavalier King Charles, but not all groomers are familiar with the carding technique. Some refer to this as "show grooming", but actually it is just proper grooming for these breeds.
Regular grooming is essential
Plan to remove the shedding coat weekly. Allowing this coat type to grow out "naturally" can also alter the coat growth pattern. The primary hairs become thinner, silkier, and longer when not maintained. The hairs also become deeply rooted, rather than rotating in a shedding cycle, as they should.
This work can easily be done at home by the pet parent. See my videos on carding the coat to learn how.
This photo clearly shows the natural saddle area on the dog, the darker shaded area is the area that is best kept untrimmed.
Consult with your groomer
Your groomer can help you to decide the best plan of action for your dogs coat. Some dogs are not candidates for a carded coat, and some pet parents prefer the clipped coat. We can help you decide which route is best for your dog.
The best tools to maintain your dogs coat
Pin Brush
The pin Brush is necessary for dogs with long, flowing coats.
Deep Penetration: Cocker Spaniels have a silky, dense coat. A pin brush reaches deep into the fur to remove loose hair and prevent mats from forming near the skin.
Gentle Maintenance: Unlike stiff slicker brushes, a pin brush is gentle on a dog's delicate skin. It is perfect for everyday brushing or "line brushing" (parting the hair and brushing small sections from the skin outward)
Oil Distribution: The pins stimulate the skin and spread natural oils throughout the coat, keeping their signature floppy ears and long "furnishings" (leg/belly hair) soft and conditioned.
Follow with a Comb: After brushing, go through the coat with a steel comb to ensure there are no hidden tangles left behind
Flexible slicker brush
I use the Paw Brothers Flexible Slicker on the shorter coats, and for the feet and ears.
Maintaining the coat is the pet owner's responsibility. It’s important to keep the coat brushed and combed once a week.
In maintaining the flat coated dog, the dog should be double brushed, and combed weekly or anytime the dog gets wet.. Brush the dogs completely removing any loose hair, comb, then brush again.
Pro Tip: Use this brush to remove those pesky hitch hikers from your dogs coat.
Extra Firm Pin Slicker
This brush is my favorite dematting brush. It quickly removes tangles from your dogs' coat.
Pro Tip: Only use this brush to remove the mats, this is not a maintenance brush.
Course tooth comb
The comb is an essential piece of equipment to have in your coat care toolkit.
Pro Tip: Use this comb after the brush out to check for tangles and prevent mats.
Carding Knife
The carding knife can be used to remove undercoat on the back, neck, hips, and shoulders of your terriers like the Scottish Terrier and the West Highland White Terrier.
Keeping the undercoat removed helps the coat to keep nice texturee and reduce shedding.
Pro Tip: Hold the tool at a 45 degree angle while combing through the coat while kepeing the skin held taut.
Pumice Stone
The course stone when dragged over the hard coat removes the course, loose guard hairs. When used on areas where there is short soft downy undercoat growing back in, it removes this wooley fur. It’s important to remove this fur about 2 weeks after stripping by defuzzing the dog. Because this soft undercoat will fill in before the new guard hair pushes through. If there is too much undercoat present, it will inhibit the good, rich colored coat from breaking through properly.
Pro Tip: Lightly glide this stone over the coat with a little pressure while holding the skin taut.
Andis Deshedding Tool
This tool is helpful for removing shedding coat on clipped dogs with at least 1/2 inch of coat.
Pro Tip: Only use this tool with the lay of the coat ( in the direction that the coat naturally grows).
I recommend getting both the fine and course tooth versions. The link is for the course.
Anti Static Spray
A good quality anti static spray helps to reduce static in the coat making brush out sessions a breeze.
Pro Tip: Mist the legs with Magic Mist before brushing to reduce static.
Tooth paste
Bamboo Toothbrushes
Brushing your pets teeth daily helps to prevent expensive dental bills and keeps your pets breath fresh and clean.
Pro Tip: Putting your pet on a non slip surface helps them to feel safe. Be careful not to hold to dog covering the soft area just behind the nostrils, as this blocks their airway.
Bamboo Toothbrushes
Bamboo Toothbrushes
Bamboo Toothbrushes
Use these eco friendly tooth brushes to keep your pets breath fresh.
Ear wash
Bamboo Toothbrushes
Ear wash
Ear cleansing is esesntial every time that the dog gets wet. This helps to prevent ear infections by drying moisture, as well as removing wax and debris.
Pro Tip: Fill each ear canal with the solution after the rinse, but before the towel dry. Rub the base of the ear, and allow the dog to shake it out. Then lightly blot the ear dry.
Caution: Do not use in abnormal looking ears, if the ears have a dark brown discharge, redness, swelling, or other discharge, seek veterinary help.
HOW TO PREVENT MATTED HAIR.
So, you want to grow your dog's hair longer. I hear this a lot. Dogs are beautiful with long flowing coats. That natural, scruffy, shaggy, puppy look is adorable. You try to keep the hair brushed, you really honestly do.
But your dog is young. She needs to learn. She doesn’t like it, That’s okay, that’s what a professional is for, right? Wrong! Pet groomers are actually pet stylists. The one responsible for caring for the condition of the dog is the owners of the dog. The reason for this is that the maintenance of the coat is a constant routine. The level of difficulty depends upon the length of the coat, and other factors such as:
1. Do you wash the dog?
2. Does the dog swim or go into a wading pool?
3. Do you leave a harness on the dog?
4. Does the dog wear clothing?
5. If the dog is in full coat, or has a lot of hair around the neck, does she wear a collar?
6. If you wash your dog, do you that very same day, thoroughly brush and comb that dog over every inch of it’s body?
All of these factors determine the amount of work necessary to maintain the coat. I specialize in maintaining a full coat. My own dogs, and many of my clients dogs have had coats in amazing condition.
It is a labor of love. The secret is dedication. It is not a chore, it’s actually a bonding time for you and your pets IF and only IF both of you enjoy it.
Sometimes it can become frustrating, the dog fights the brush, or you give the dog a quick bath with no brushing only to later realize that was a disastrous decision. Or you leave the cute Christmas sweater on for 3 days while we have freezing temperatures, only to end up with a completely shaved down dog.
Sometimes, clients think, no worries, the groomer has special techniques, special tools, and wonderful conditioning treatments that they are trained to use in the event that your dog gets a few little mats. And to an extent, this is true.
The problem is, when we brush out matted hair, it hurts. And when the dog already hates the brush, it can be traumatizing. Sometimes I can do it once, to save the dogs coat, but the next time, the dog says NO. I often have clients prefer for me to save the coat, to please keep the hair that I trimmed short underneath the last time, and to let the coat grow. But if the coat is matting at this shorter length, why should we grow it longer?
The dogs owner must listen to the pet. If the pet cannot tolerate the brush, then keep the hair shorter until the training and routine are established.
The routine and tools depend on the desired length of coat and the type of coat that the dog has. Long flowing coats benefit from the use of a Pin Brush, and a Comb, a Chris Christensen Buttercomb, and a Face Comb.
Cottony bushy coats benefit from the use of the flexible slicker brushes, a Long Pin Slicker, and the Chris Christensen Poodle Combs.
The type of pins on the slicker depend on the depth of coat and the area you are brushing. I use both and go back and forth using both brushes on each dog, using the stiffer shorter pins on mats, the legs, and sometimes under the arms, and the longer pins in the areas where the hair is longer and thicker.
Most slicker brushes either have short pins or angled pins. The short pins are useless for penetrating a coat that is more that a half inch long. I do not recommend any brushes with plastic coated tips.
Brushes with sharply angled pins have a lot of drag and pull in a thick coat. This can make brushing very uncomfortable for the dog. Therefore, the brushes that you choose need longer pins that are not too sharply angled.
People often ask, “Should I brush every day ?” Or “How often should I brush?”. The answer is different in each situation.
Spaniels, Cavaliers, and Long Hair Dachshunds need to be brushed at least once a week, from one end of the body to the other, followed by combing from the skin out all over. Plan at least an hour a week for the brush out on a Cocker with a full coat. On bath day, brushing and combing must be done by the end of the day, or else matting will begin. Please understand that one bath without a proper brush out with combing can result in the need for a complete shave down.
HERE ARE A FEW KEY THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE Spaniel type COAT:
- It’s a combination coat. Spaniel type dogs have a mixture of shedding fur, and non shedding hair, this mixture creates an environment for matting.
- Prone to matting. The spaniel type coat can lock together quickly, especially around high-friction areas like the ears, armpits, and underline. In addition to this, you will see a fine undercoat that wants to shed out into the longer hair, this is why brushing is so important.
- Variety in the coat type. Some Dogs have thick long hair, while others have curls, which can change how often they need brushing, as well as the type of brush needed.
- Seasonal comfort. Swimming, camping, and other activities may warrant pre planning with a shorter haircut seasonally.
- Allergy-friendly. The spaniel type dogs do shed out some coat. Keeping the dog well groomed helps with the shedding.
The takeaway is simple: a well maintained Dog is essential to having a healthy, happy, handsome dog.
How to brush your dog
